if one baby was in the NICU and one wasn't

tirsabel · November 2012

Hi,

I have been wondering about how people deal with one baby being in the NICU and one not. I am worried that baby A may need NICU time one of them do because he is smaller. If one didn't come home with you, what tips do you have to manage? i'd love to breast feed and if you did, how did you manage that with one baby at home, etc. any particular hints on how to deal?

besides just dealing because you have to (because in the end, i know you have to take the cards you're dealt and if thats the worst that happens, i know it's not a huge deal, but just looking for some tips cause for some reason thats my stressor for tonight

thanks!

yinyang124 · November 2012

I'm in this situation right now, and my better BFer is still in NICU. It honestly sucks. I can only get down there for 1 maybe 2 feedings a day, so I have to pump enough for him after I nurse his brother. I don't have any real advice on how to make it better, but I'm just trying to enjoy the time I do have with him and we cuddle for 2 hours after I nurse him. You should try not to worry about a hypothetical situation though. Small baby doesn't necessarily mean NICU time'either.

E&RMommy · November 2012

It was hard but we managed. Our NICU was 40 minutes from our house. Luckily it was only for 10 days.

I pumped around the clock and gave pretty much all of the breast milk to the NICU baby and then when we got home they both got it.

We took turns at home with DD and in the NICU with DS. I was recovering from the c-section so it was a little tough.

The small baby may do better as was our case. You just can't predict. Plus our babies were estimated to be a pound different and in actuality they weighed only 5 grams different (yes only 5 grams apart). So it's just a wait and see deal.

JesseKhloe&Me · November 2012

Try to make some type of schedule to try to make an early morning trip, a mid day trip and a right before bed trip. The rest of the day you are with the baby at home. You also need someone at home (obviously) to take care of the one you leave at home and sometimes a driver, if you have a c-section for the first week at least. It was no fun & probably the hardest 7 days of my life, but like you said, you get through it because you have to. I was also pumping any time I could keep my eyes open long enough to do it.. So thankful now though : ) Good luck.